It is customary for gardeners, both professional and amateur, to apply various types of fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and herbicides by spray applicators. Typically these spray applicators include a tank which contains the liquid to be sprayed. Often liquid is provided in concentrated form and is mixed with water and then poured into the tank. The tank may be of varying capacity from a gallon or two to one having a much larger volume. The contents of the tank may be pressurized either by a hand pump and in some cases may be pressurized using an air source such as an air compressor. A flexible hose is attached to the tank and is then connected to a feed tube which depends within the tank. A tubular wand at the end of the flexible hose is attached to a spray nozzle which is often adjustable to regulate the spray from a fan-shaped spray to a more concentrated stream. A valve having a lever is manually operably to control the flow from the nozzle.
Because of wind conditions, or improper use of the spray device due to inattentiveness or carelessness, the spray may drift onto the user. This may be a particularly serious problem, especially when chemicals such as herbicides or other chemicals potentially harmful to humans are being applied. Therefore, even if the users of such equipment are extremely careful, unintended harm can result when spraying, particularly when using lawn, garden and agricultural chemicals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,438 discloses a spray shield that attaches to a sprayer wand and directs spray from a sprayer away from the operator. Since the spray shield projects from the slender wand, it may be awkward to store the sprayer and wand when not in use. Further, there may be occasions when the operator does not desire to use the shield when operating the sprayer. However, the prior art does not disclose a way to conveniently and efficiently store the spray shield when it is not being used.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a sprayer having a spray shield that can be efficiently and conveniently stored when not in use.